Clutch mechanism.



V. G. APPLE.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. x. ISIS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

V. G. APPLE.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION men Mummers.

1,156,576. Patented Oct.12,19 15.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@y f/fwzm 772L111 v. G APPLE.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MYAR. I. i915. Llfififi'ma V Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES P ENT OFFICE.

' VINCENT G. APPLE, F DAYTON, CHI f0, ASSIGNOR TO THE APPLE ELECTRIC COMPANY,

- or DAYTON, OHIO, A oRroRATIoN or OHIO.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Original application filed .Tune 1, 1914, Serial No. 842,205. Divided and this application filed March 1,

19L5. Serial No. 11,180.

To all whom it may concern the line 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a pseudo Be it known t at I, VINCENT ArPLE, a elongated perspective view with parts broken citizen of tl}l7% nited States, residlng at i away to graphically illustrate the operation "Dayton, in t e county of Montgomery and 5 State of 0 i0, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specifi cation. 7 v

This invention relates to improvements in 0 motor, transmits power at a reduced speed l to the shaft of the engine and when the engine takes up its cycle of operation and be; comes the driver, it automatically eliminates the reduction gearing and provides a direct drive through to the dynamo for its operation as a generator. 7 A

Another object of my invention is to provide such a device for use with gearing of 'the above described type in which the parts, which move relative to each other when'the dynamo serves as a motor, will, on the re-' versal of the direction of drive, rotate .in unisoxnas a single part when the driver attains a predetermined speed.

- Still other objects of my invention are to provide 'sli'cha clutch which shall be efficient, light, posi ive in its action and sufiiciently -compact to permit its mounting within the end portio of a dynamo casing.

The gearing with which my clutch is illustrated in its present embodiment forms the {I subject matter of my Patent No. 1,133,784,

' dated March 30th, 1915, this application being a division of the application which matured into the aforesaid patent.

Figure 1 is an axial sectional view through my improved gearing showing it mounted upon a dynamo. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.- rFig. 3 is an end elevation of the clutchiconta'lning part. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5, with parts broken awa Pi 5 an axial sectionalview on clutch mechanism and more particularly to of my gearing.

casing is reduced in diameter and carries a tubular extension 17 receiving the bearing 18 within which is journaled te shaft 19.

The shaft 19 is flanged outwardly at its inner end, into a double stepped cup shaped part 20, carrying on its outer step the in- 70, ternal gear 21 and at its inner step an annula'r bearing'22 within which 'is journaled the forwardly extending reduced end 23 of tlie shaft 13.

An eccentric 31 is carried by the'shaft directly at the rear of the reduced end 23. The annular bearing 32 surrounds the eccentric 31 and carries the pinion 33 meshing with the internal gear 21. This comprises the well known form of eccentric reduction gearing in. which the internal gear and the spur gear have a different number of teeth and a slow drive, giving great reductionin speed, effected by the rotation of the eccentric Wabbling the spur gear which is held by a universal connection from actual rotation.

For the purpose of holding the spur gear against rotation, when it is desired to transmit power from the dynamo armature I through to the shaft 19 I have provided a roller clutch mechanism in which the outer rollers 34 normally engage with the race way 35 formed on the inner face of the ring 36 carried in an annular recess-formed ir. the flanged end 15 of the casing 14:. i I

The clutch mechanism comprises in general a body ring 37, outer rollers 34, inner I rollers 38, and the disks 39 and 40 positioned at each side of the body ring 37 rotatable relative thereto, and secured together in spaced relation by transverse bars 41 positioned in pairs .;.ch side of the rollers. The rollers are carried by transverse pins 42 and 44: joined together by the links 45 which extend radially across the outer edges of the body ring 37 inside the disks 39 and I 40. The bars 41 likewise act as roller reof-slots 52.

taining cages and insure proper positioning of the rollers with respect to the disks 39 and 40.

Pins 46 extend axially from the body ring 37 through arcuate slots 47 in the disk 39 and are journaled in the L shaped governor arms 48' adjacent the shorter legs thereof. The inner ends of the L shaped governor arms 48 are slotted, as at 49, and engage with the pins 50 secured in the disk 39. Outward movement of the longer, heavierends of the L shaped governor arms 48 cause sliding movement of the pins 46 within the arcuate slots 47 resulting in the relative rotation of the body ring 37 with respect to the disk 39.

In order to provide universal connection between the pinion 33 and the clutch mechanism I have provided a slotted plate 51 resembling'somewhat a Maltese cross and having diagonally opposite pairs of slots 52 and 52. Lugs 53 extend inwardly from the pinion 33 and slidably engage the slots 52 and a second pair of lugs 54 extends forward from the body ring 37through arcuate slots 55 in theplate 40 and engage with the other pair The opening 56 atthe center of the plate 50 is considerably larger than v ers34 and the inner surface of the ring 37' the shaft '13 so as to permit oscillation or w'abbling'of the plate 51 without interference.

The outer surface of the-body ring 37, adjacent each of the rollers, is inclined or cam shaped, as at 57, for coaction with the rollis cam shaped, as at.58, adjacent the inner rollers for coaction therewith- The inner rollers when forced inward by the cam 48 contact with the enlarged portion 59 ofthe shaft 13.

The pins 50, upon which the governor arms are pivoted extend entirely across the disks 39 and '40 within the body ring 37 and are engaged by the spring pressed plungers .60 carried in openings 61 in the body ring.

The plungers 60 are pressed inwardly by the springs 65, the outer ends .of which abut against the threaded screws 66 thus providing a means for adjusting the resistance of I the centrifugal action of the governor arms 39 and 40 until the outer rollers 34 are posiand 40 so that the rollers 34 are.

tioned opposite the depressions 62 in the gripping the shaft 59 and locking the clutch mechanism thereto.

A cup shaped wall 63 is flanged outwardly as at 64, to lie between the adjoining surfaces of the end wall ofthe frame 10 and the inner wall of the ring 36, thusinclosing 7 5 the governor armsand forming a protecting partition between the clutch mechanism and -the windings of the dynamo, such as the armature and field coils.

The operation of the device is as follows.

' Considering first all parts of the apparatus at rest we will assume that the operator wishes to start the internal combustion engine. Closing the proper circuit switch, current is directed throughthe dynamo arina- 5 ture and field windings causing the shaft 13 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, in Fig. 6. As the internal gear 20 together with its shaft 19 is connected to the shaft of the internal, combustion'engine theresistance to its rotation is considerable and the first tendency of the pinion 33 will be to rotate about the eccentric 31 in a direction indicated by the dotted arrow. This torque is communicated, through :tlieuniversal plate 51, to the control member'carrying the roller clutches 38 and 34, and its tendency will be to rotate in the same direction with the spur gearr33. 7' Asbefore stated the roller clutches 34 are operative, being pressed into. engagement with the ring 36 by the cam shaped portion 57 of the ring 37. The trol member -tofotate in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow, vented by the locking engagement of the outer roller 34 with the ring 36'and the inevitable result is the rotation of the internal gear wheel 21 in the direction indicated tendency of the connormally is therefore preby the solid arrow. In the present instance,

the spur gear wheel has a less number of teeth than the internal gear wheel and will therefore drive the spur gear wheel in the same direction as the driving shaft. The engine shaft is thus rotated until the engine takes up its cycle of operation at which time its speed is greatly increased and the reversal of direction in drive causes the in ternal gear 21 tic become the driver, around with it the spur gear 33 and throug the medium of the universal plate 51 rotates the control member in the direction indicated by the solid arrow.. As the roller clutches 34 are uni-directional in their action the control member is free to rotate in the direction indicated by the solid arrow though locked from rotation in the opposite direction. As the speed of the control memcarryin v ber increases the governor arms 48 fly outwardly, under the influence ofv centrifugal action, rotating the ring 37, relative to the outer disks 39 and 40, thus wedg'ing inwardly the rollers 38 and 34 until the inner rollers 38 engage the enlarged portion 59 of the armature shaft 13.

tact with the shaft the rollers 38 instantly lock the control member thereto and the entire gearing, together with its appurtenant parts, rotates as a unit with the armature shaft, the drive being direct from the plunger 60 to rotate the body rin 3 mov-' ing outwardly the rollers 38 an 34 until the inner set becomes inoperative and the outer set is pressed into engagement with the ring 36. Changing the tension of'the spring actuating the plunger 60 permits adjustment of the governor-for operation at any desired speed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. .In a power transmitting mechanism,

the combination of a primary rotatable member; a secondary rotatable member; means connecting the said members including a normally inoperative one Way roller clutch, and centrifugally operated means for The direction of roller grip is such that on coming in conconditioning said roller clutch for opera- 2. In -a power transmission mechanism, the combination of a prima shaft; a secondary shaft; means connecting the two shafts, and including a normally inoperative one way roller clutch, and speed responsive means for conditioning said clutch for operation. i

3.. In a power transmission, gearing mechanism, the combination ofa primary shaft;

a secondary shaft; means connecting the shafts comprising a normally inoperative one way roller clutch, and centrifugally operated means for moving said roller radially into operative position.

4. In a power transmission mechanism,

the combination of a primary rotatable member; a second rotatable member; means.

connecting the two members and including a' one Way roller clutch, said clutch' comprising spaced apart roller positioning disks a, plurality of rollers; a mug between sai disks having a roller engaging cam rotatable relative to said disks andspeed' responsive means for rotating said ring relative to the disks, and causing movement of the rollegs radially with respect to the rotatable members. In testimony whereof I- hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VINCENT e. Armin.-

In the presence ofa E. V. MARTIN,

R. E. FLEMING. 

